The 2009 Brubeck Festival
The 2009 Brubeck Festival was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest recordings of all time, Time Out. "The Revolution Continues" was selected as the theme of the Festival because it was about more than just celebrating an anniversary, it was about taking a look at how that album and others in 1959 changed the concept of what jazz could be and how those revolutionary ideas have influenced music over time.
The 2009 Brubeck Festival began on Saturday, March 28 with the annual "Jazz on the Mile!" concerts, co-sponsored by the Miracle Mile Improvement Association. The performers included the Pacific Jazz Ensemble, San Joaquin Delta College Jazz Ensemble, Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet, Delta College Monday Night Jazz Ensemble, Berkeley (CA) High School Jazz Ensemble, and Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. On Tuesday, March 31, the Festival continued in Faye Spanos Concert Hall with a concert by the Gerald Clayton Trio, with Gerald Clayton on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Brubeck Institute Fellowship Program alumnus Justin Brown on drums.
On Wednesday, April 1, Darius Brubeck presented a lecture-concert called "1959: The Beginning of Beyond" focusing on the events of the year 1959 and five of the monumental jazz albums issued that year. Performing with him were guest artist and BI Fellowship Program alumnus Brian Chahley on trumpet, and the current Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet, including Ben Flocks on saxophone, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown on saxophone, Javier Santiago on piano, Zach Brown on bass, and Adam Arruda on drums. The albums discussed and played included: Kind of Blue - Miles Davis, Giant Steps - John Coltrane, The Shape of Jazz to Come - Ornette Coleman, Mingus Ah/Um - Charles Mingus, and Time Out - Dave Brubeck.
Friday night, April 3, was to have been an historic event with Dave Brubeck and the Dave Brubeck Quartet performing the entire Time Out album live in concert for the first time in history. Unfortunately, Dave became ill just before the Festival and could not travel to California. However, the concert was still performed. Darius Brubeck sat in on the piano for Dave and performed Time Out with the incomparable Dave Brubeck Quartet, including Bobby Militello on flute and alto sax, Michael Moore on bass, and Randy Jones on drums. It was an extraordinary performance. The evening began with a performance of Dave and Iola Brubeck's choral and orchestral work, Earth Is Our Mother, with the Sacramento Master Singers, Bobby Militello on flute and alto sax, the Pacific Orchestra, Paul Apodaca doing the narration, and Russell Gloyd conducting.
On April 2 and 4, the Stockton Symphony premiered the new orchestral work by Dave and Chris Brubeck called Ansel Adams: America! They teamed up to create this multi-media tribute to our nation's iconic photographer, Ansel Adams. Adams' breathtaking photography was projected above the orchestra as it played the richly textured classical music composed specifically for these striking images. The Stockton Symphony was the first of seven orchestras to premiere this innovative concert experience.
The Brubeck Festival Academic Symposium featured two presentations. First was "The Making of Time Out" by Russell Gloyd, which included a film on the making of the album, as well as how music from the album has been used over time. The second presentation was a panel discussion entitled "1959: The Revolution Begins" with panelists discussing the albums mentioned above. The panelists included Darius Brubeck, pianist and scholar; Chuck Berg, scholar, historian, and reviewer; Joe Gilman, pianist, scholar, musical director of the BI Fellowship Program; and moderator, Paul Conley, producer and broadcaster with Capital Public Radio.
The 2009 Brubeck Institute Award for Distinguished Achievement was presented to the President of the University of the Pacific, Donald V. DeRosa.
The 2009 Brubeck Festival was produced by Steve Anderson, Director of the Brubeck Institute.